The California Highway Patrol investigates a crash involving several vehicles including a milk tanker Thursday on the 60 Freeway at Santa Anita Ave. in South El Monte. (Photo by Keith Durflinger/San Gabriel Valley Tribune)

SOUTH EL MONTE >> A young child was fatally injured early Thursday and 13 other people were hurt in a fiery, 11-vehicle crash on the eastbound 60 Freeway at Santa Anita Avenue, authorities said.

Maydelin Salas, 5, of South El Monte died at a hospital shortly after the wreck, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said.

She was riding as the left, rear passenger in a 2004 Nissan minivan that was struck from behind by a tanker truck hauling milk, setting off a chain-reaction.

“Due to the severity of her injuries, we were unable to save her,” Beverly Hospital Emergency Care Center Assistant Medical Director Dr. Raul Lopez said in a written statement.

South El Monte City Councilman Willhans Ili said, like others Thursday, he was still processing the details of the horrific crash.

“Any time anybody dies, whether it’s a resident or from the surrounding area, it’s sad, especially that young,” Ili said. “My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

Thirteen other people were injured — four of them critically — in the crash, which was reported at 5:42 a.m., said Inspector Keith Mora, L.A. County Fire Department. Nine people suffered injuries described as ranging from minor to moderate.

Salas was taken to Beverly Hospital in Montebello, where she was pronounced dead at 6:37 a.m., Winter said.

Beverly Hospital doctors also treated a 67-year-old man who suffered injuries considered to be minor. He was listed in stable condition, officials said.

A Beverly Hospital official said the Salas’ mother was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for treatment.

Six of the victims, five adults and a child, were taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, spokeswoman Rosa Soca.

Two crash victims were taken to Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Baldwin Park. They were treated for minor injuries and subsequently released according to hospital spokeswoman Mayra Suarez.

Advertisement

“(The victims) are being treated accordingly for the different levels of injuries they sustained,” Soca said.

A tanker carrying milk was traveling eastbound on the 60 Freeway when it collided with cars slowing down in front of it, according to CHP Officer Edgar Figueroa. It is unknown why the truck failed to stop in time.

“(The tanker) subsequently collided into the rear of (the Nissan minivan), which in turn caused a chain reaction collision with a total of 11 vehicles,” Officer Z. Edwards of the CHP’s East Los Angeles Office said in a written statement.

“The exact cause of the collision is still under investigation,” Edwards said.

As a result the tanker jumped and straddled the center divider, said Figueroa.

A 4-door sedan and a sport-utility vehicle became engulfed in flames following the collision, according to the CHP.

Further details regarding the chain of events involved in the crash were not available Thursday.

The driver of the tanker truck, 41-year-old Agustin Ochoa of Bakersfield, suffered minor injuries in the crash, Edwards said.

The crash prompted the closure of all eastbound lanes of the 60 Freeway for more than four hours, and lane closures affected both east and westbound traffic past noon.

An unrelated early-morning motorcycle crash on the 210 Freeway in Arcadia left a 49-year-old Pomona man dead and prompted a Sig Alert that remained in effect until shortly after 7 a.m.

As a result of the two fatal crashes, traffic also slowed to a crawl on the 10 Freeway and area surface streets, as commuters scrambled to find alternative routes to avoid the shut-down or gridlocked 60 and 210 Freeways.

The motorcycle crash victim was riding a 2013 Yamaha motorcycle eastbound at an unknown speed when the cycle rear-ended a vehicle travelling ahead of it, CHP Officer Ryan Bejar said. The vehicle that was rear-ended fled the scene.

“(Alvarez) fell to the roadway, laying within the No. 4 lane,” Bejar said. He was then struck by an eastbound 2010 Toyota Prius being driven by a 35-year-old San Gabriel man.

Paramedics pronounced Alvarez dead at the scene, officials said.

The Prius driver remained at the scene and was not cited or arrested as the investigation continued, Bejar said.

In addition to the 60 and 210 freeways, traffic also slowed to a crawl on the 10 Freeway and area surface streets, as commuters scrambled to find alternative routes to avoid the shut down or gridlocked 60 and 210 Freeways.